In 30 Days Flat, DC Greenlights Black Butte Coal Expansion — Critics Cry ‘Rubber Stamp’

The Trump administration just put the Black Butte coal mine on a fast track. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) finished its environmental review for the southwest Wyoming operation in under 30 days — a process that normally drags on for years with stacks of studies on environmental, health and socioeconomic impacts, plus rounds of public comment, Rawlins Times reports.

The updated plan essentially lets the mine west of Rock Springs — digging since the late 1970s — keep humming. It opens up 9.2 million tons of additional federal coal, enough to extend mining through 2039, according to Interior Department documents.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon called it “great news” for the region and ratepayers, and blasted what he said were earlier “paper obstacles” under the Biden administration. He thanked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for speeding the decision. Interior officials said the push came straight from President Donald Trump’s energy directives — “Unleashing American Energy” and “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry” — the same policy drive backing a 440-million-ton coal lease and a 14.5-million-ton expansion at the Antelope mine in northeast Wyoming.

Environmental groups see something else: a precedent for rushing complex federal decisions.

“The government is not doing their due diligence to actually examine the impact this might have on public lands,” said Emma Jones with the Sierra Club’s Wyoming chapter. “If this way of doing things becomes normalized, then you can basically justify doing anything on public lands.”

The bigger question: Who buys the coal? US electricity demand is surging, but coal’s decade-long slide hasn’t reversed in a meaningful way. Black Butte’s anchor customer, the nearby Jim Bridger power plant, has already converted two of four units from coal to natural gas, raising doubts about future volumes.

“It’s unclear who is going to buy this coal,” Jones said.

On the ground, the mine employs about 56 workers and has weathered two recent layoffs, including one in summer 2024. For those jobs, the 2039 runway is welcome. For the market, it’s murkier.

Policy-wise, the move showcases how the administration has retooled National Environmental Policy Act procedures during the declared National Energy Emergency, aiming to compress timelines for federal leases and permits. Supporters say that’s what it takes to secure domestic supply and grid reliability. Opponents argue the public is being cut out—and that shortcuts today could mean bigger costs for land, water and communities tomorrow.

For now, Black Butte gets the green light—and a long runway—delivered at record speed. Whether that bet pays off for Wyoming miners or simply stockpiles coal no one burns is a story still being written.